Braised chicken with Fungus

Braised chicken with Fungus 云耳金针菜焖鸡

Ingredients:
Chicken thigh, fungus (dried) 云耳, day lily (dried) 金针菜, garlic

Method:
1. Cut the whole chicken thigh into pieces of desired size, marinade with light soy sauce, dark soy sauce & sesame oil.
2. Prepare the fungus & day lily (soaked with warm water for half an hour, fungus cut or tear into smaller piece, day lily to remove the tip & tie a knot in center)
3. Fried crushed garlic till fragrant, add in the marinated chicken pieces, fried for a while and add in the fungus &
4. Add in water and cover the wok, let the chicken cook for a few minutes.
5. Add in some "Shao Xing" cooking wine (绍兴酒) to enhance the taste, however, this is optional.
6. Thicken the gravy by adding corn flour & water mixture（勾芡）& it's done.

Beancurd with Minced Meat

Beancurd with Minced Meat 肉碎豆腐

Ingredients:
Fried beancurd (square shapes), minced meat, chinese mushroom, long beans, shallots, beancurd paste 豆瓣酱

Method:
1. Shallow fry the beancurd and then put aside.
2. Heat the oil & fry chopped shallots until fragrant, add in minced meat, followed by mushroom & long beans that are cut into small dices.
3. Add in some water and season with beancurd paste & dark soy sauce.
4. Add some corn flour mixed with water to thicken the gravy(勾芡) if needed.
5. Pour the mixture over the fried beancurd & serve.

Remarks: If you dislike beancurd paste, replace it with light soy sauce will do.

Tang Yuan 汤圆

Today is the Winter Solstice Festival or Dōngzhì Festival (冬至) and we had glutinous rice ball, tang yuan (汤圆) as dessert after dinner.

We have prepared the syrup with Gula Melaka (also known as palm sugar) instead of castor sugar, pandan leaves is also put in when cooking the syrup to add the fragrant. We then boil the plain tang yuan and eat together with the syrup.

Christmas @ Pavilion

The theme at Pavilion KL is white Christmas and the decor is simple, elegant & nice. However, it might not fascinate the kids though.... Here are some photos to share with you.

Big White "Christmas Tree"

Viewing from upstairs

Spicy "Ma Po" beancurd

Spicy "Ma Po" beancurd 香辣麻婆豆腐

Ingredients:
Beancurd, Spicy beancurd paste 辣豆瓣酱, Long beans, Minced pork.

Method:
1. Cut beancurd into cubes, and long beans into thin bits.
2. Fry the minced pork with spicy beancurd paste till fragrant, add in long beans.
3. Add in a bowl of water, followed by the beancurd cubes, cover and let it cook.
4. Add a pinch of sugar to taste and it's ready to serve.
5. If it's too watery, add some corn flour mixed with water to thicken the gravy(勾芡)

Braised pork ribs with beancurd paste

Braised pork ribs with beancurd paste 豆瓣酱焖排骨

Ingredients:
Pork ribs, Beancurd skin ("fu chok" 腐竹), Potato, Beancurd Paste.

Method:
1. Marinade the pork ribs with 2 table spoon of beancurd paste.
2. Cut 1 potato into small cubes.
3. Heat the oil, fry some crushed garlic till fragrant, add in the marinated pork ribs & potato cubes, fry for a while.
4. Add in water and cover, turn to medium fire and let it cook.
5. When it's almost done, add in some "fu chok", add pinch of sugar to taste
6. Add some corn flour mixed with water to thicken the gravy (勾芡)& it's ready to serve.

La Bodega Deli

Christmas is just around the corner, is anyone planning for a Christmas dinner gathering or party? I guess food preparation is the most hectic part and & La Bodega Deli would like to help out with your gastronomic needs for the occasion.

Roast turkey, cheese platters, oysters, chocolates, Christmas pudding, fruit cake, champagnes…... the list just goes on.

Click here for our La Bodega Deli Christmas Shopping List for 2007.

It is highly recommended that an early order is placed as some items are limited.

Get ready for the party! :)

Christmas at One U

I'm on leave today as it's my son Dillon's 2nd birthday and we went to One Utama shopping mall to spend the day.

Although it's weekday but due to school holiday, it is still quite crowded. I have heard that the Christmas decor there is very nice this year and true enough, it is attractive, esp. to kids, Dillon was so happy seeing the big toy soldier & the disney castle.

At Old Wing

At New Wing

Dinner, dinner, dinner....!!!

In the last quarter of 2007, I have received 4 wedding invitations and so far I’ve already attended 3:

1. Cousin’s wedding banquet on 21st Oct (Sat) at Sunway Lagoon Hotel Function Room.
2. Colleague Soon’s banquet on 18th Nov (Sun) at Unique Fisherman Restaurant, Cheras.
3. Ex-classmate Emily’s wedding banquet on 1st Dec (Sat) at Damansara Palace, Kota Damansara.

I have really enjoyed the wedding dinners because I get to meet a lot of friends and relatives that I have lost touch for quite sometime, it is good to catch up with them and mingle around. I must say that I am also very impressed with the good food served at these 3 restaurants.

The next and also the last wedding banquet that I’m going to attend would be my friend’s wedding on this Sunday (9th Dec) at Tai Thong Restaurant, Cheras; after which it’d be my company’s annual dinner on the following Friday, 14th Dec (Fri) at Saffron, One Bangsar, and probably a Christmas dinner gathering on 22nd Dec (Sat) with friends and kids.

Looks like my weekends are all busy till end of year, now tell me how am I going to resist myself for not over eating huh? :P